Reason to Exist
by Loki-nin
Summary: Is there truely a Reason to Exist? GaaLee
1. Default Chapter

There was a snap as the humanoid log that the young man was hitting splintered into several pieces, shards of wood flying everywhere. The attacker fell hard from his kick, winded, his breath tearing past his lips in harsh gasps, his throat burning. His black hair was as damp as the rest of his body way, slick with perspiration, strands of it clinging to his face. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration- he seemed to be fighting off a spell of pain, his bottom lip captured between his teeth. He stayed where he had fallen, more unwilling than unable to get up from the ground. His clothing was dirty; the green body suit that he wore was darkened in patches from both blood and dirt, the once-orange legwarmers that he wore were dingy and frayed in places from repeated contact with the practice stump.

With a deep intake of breath, the young man struggled to his feet, wincing. His expression of pain only lasted for a short instant, quickly replaced with a determined glint that seemed to flash across his eyes, bringing life and energy back to his entire being. He moved on to a somewhat-undamaged practice stump, standing a few yards away from where the remnants of the destroyed one lay. He stretched briefly, and then launched into a flurry of blows against the wood, fists and feet flying. Soon, bloody marks were left on the rough stump, and shortly, the boy's movements began to slow, eventually coming to a standstill.

It was a half-hour later that another young man walked into the practice clearing, dusky red hair almost glowing in the twilight that had settled about the area. A large gourd was strapped to his back, but he carried it effortlessly, acting as if it weighed nothing. Cold jade eyes were narrowed to slits the moment he saw the other young man, laying spent on the ground. He stopped, and reached out with a sandal-clad foot to none-too-gently prod the prone youth.

"Get up, loser." His voice was as cold as his expression, no humor in it. The boy groaned, struggling to open his eyes. The auburn-haired youth dropped into a crouch, reaching out and preparing to shake the other awake.

"Gaara…don't." The black-haired boy furrowed his brow, not conscious enough to know the presence of the other—and perhaps dreaming something, "I don't want to…lose again…"

For a fleeting moment, the air about the gourd-laden boy lightened, a look of soft pity coming to his face—and just as quickly disappearing to be replaced by the uncaring expression of moments before. His hands closed around the shoulders of the boy before him, and he gave him a rough shake. The boy's eyes fluttered open, and he looked about wildly before attempting to stagger to his feet.

He stood, brushing dirt and grass off of his green outfit, not looking at the other. There was a silence between the two—something that seemed common.

"Gaara…why do you always come and get me?" the boy paused in his actions, still not looking up.

"There's no reason." Gaara replied, he turned away from the other, "Lee, your idiot teacher was looking for you. I couldn't stand his annoying voice anymore."

"Gai-sensei isn't an idiot! How dare you call him that!" Lee's voice rose an octave, as he immediately jumped to the defense of his beloved mentor. Lee was unable to see the smirk spread across Gaara's face, the shinobi pleased at the expected reaction from the older boy.

"I dare because it's true." Gaara shook his head slightly, "get your sorry ass back to town before dark sets in."

"I still have training to do. I couldn't do a thousand punches…so now I'm going to do five hundred push-

"don't be stupid." Gaara slowly turned to face Lee, his eyes going from the boy's face to his hands; blood had soaked through the bandages, and was rolling down his knuckles to drip from his fingertips.

"It's not stupid if it's my dream." Lee's voice took on a harsh tone for a mere instant, before his face broke into a smile, "I'll achieve my dream someday!"

Gaara didn't answer. Lee watched as the younger boy walked away from him, a smile still on his face. It hardened into a look of determination once more, as he returned to his assault on the practice stump. Blood splattered with every hit he made—but he didn't seem to notice, his mind solely focused on the task at hand.

The sand-nin had reached the edge of the clearing before stopping to look disdainfully over his shoulder, a sour look turning down the corners of his mouth.

"Only idiots dream so much. How can he love that training?" Gaara mumbled, the words tumbling from his mouth in a soft murmur. He shook his head and turned to focus on the ground ahead of him, walking father from the clearing.

"Why do I find such interest in a loser like him?" were the next words from Gaara's mouth. They hung on the silence that surrounded him, and then faded. Gaara shook his head with a sigh, and continued walking. Perhaps time would tell the meaning of this strange obsession.

Perhaps.


	2. The why of things

Lee turned his face to the pillow, the soft fabric muffling his sigh of discontent. He had just returned from a long day of training—one that had gone into the night. He distinctly recalled the breeze that had floated across the training arena, invading his hazy senses, moments before Gaara's voice had roused him from his semi-conscious state. It had smelled of desert spices.

Lee mumbled something incoherent and rolled to his back, staring into the darkness that hung silently around him.

"I don't get it." His voice was barely above a whisper, "Gaara hates me…so why?"

He stretched his hands, free of their usual wraps, in front of himself, fingers interlaced. He stretched slightly, wincing as the scrapes across his knuckles twinged painfully; he smiled though, the thought that he had trained hard enough to get those injuries strangely inspiring.

"I wish sensei hadn't left on that mission…I could use his wise advice." Lee frowned in the darkness, his brows furrowing, "I'd be happy to get to know Gaara…"

Lee ran a hand through his short and somewhat choppy black hair, before yawning, thoughts of sleep leaving him.

"Gaara of the desert…he's rather strange. Mmn.. desert. Need water." Lee mumbled through the yawn.

The young man sighed, sitting up, not even bothering to fumble through the darkness for the light before he stepped out of bed. He carefully picked his way across the floor, steps light from the lack of weights, which he had carefully placed on a sturdy desk along with his uniform, before slipping into a clean pair of boxers for sleeping. He reached the door of the room, calloused fingers closing around the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open easily. He walked down the hall, padding silently along the carpeted floor, until he reached the kitchen. It was only a few steps to the sink, and a short reach for a glass; he put it under the tap, turned the proper knob and water splashed into it, clear and cool. Lee raised the glass to his lips, taking a sip of the water, letting it roll around in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. He turned, leaning back against the counter with a sigh, holding the glass in both hands. After a few moments, he shivered; the kitchen was chilly, and boxers didn't provide enough warmth.

With a frown and a fleeting thought of Gaara's strange behavior, Lee headed back to bed.

In a different part of Konoha, the very subject of Lee's troubled thoughts was pacing back and forth across the rooftop of the hotel that he and his siblings were boarding at. Loose gravel crunched under sandal-clad feet, the owner of them letting a bitter sigh slip past his lips. Auburn hair was illuminated by the light of an almost-full moon, black-rimmed eyes gleaming in the silvery light.

Gaara, just like every other night of his existence, could not bring himself to sleep. His thoughts were haunted by the why of things.

Why he was in Kohona.

Why he was up here, while Temari and Kankurou slept peacefully, safe in their rooms.

Why he had gone to help that thickbrowed freak.

He had never had a reason to go. Perhaps it was just the simple wanting to go and do something, to watch the young man train and fail and train and never give up. To see his unyielding determination. Gaara narrowed his eyes at the thought of Lee falling, laying prone on the cold ground of the training arena.

He had watched the boy fall that evening; it was still beyond his comprehension as to why his heart had skipped a beat- why he had thought to ask if he was alright, instead of letting an insult roll off his tongue. Why his first urge had been to pick Lee up and dust him off instead of nudging him awake with his foot.

Emotions were confusing things.


	3. Morning Visitation

The dawn came, and with it the waking of the citizens of Konoha. From hours before dawn, and even into the afternoon, various shinobi found their way onto the dusty streets of their town, resting between missions, some preparing to go and take the missions that would cost them their very lives. But this was the order of things, something that would never change.

Lee had risen with the sun, going first for a brisk jog, greeting the sun with a cheerful smile on his face, feet pounding out a staccato on the well-worn path. He took this trail each morning, his efforts rewarded by the clear chirping of the bird in the trees around him and at times the silence that fell over the forest. It was at least an hour past dawn, the colors of the sunrise already faded into an azure sky when Lee returned to his home to shower and prepare for the day. He, for once, didn't plan on training for the entire day; instead, he had chosen to take the first half of the day off and train from late afternoon and into the night. It had been his custom to train from dawn to moonrise before the chunin matches; his body wouldn't permit such rigorous training just yet.

The young shinobi entered his home, pushing the door open and whistling a cheerful tune as he happily made his way to the shower. He passed through the living room, almost walking by the figure seated on his couch without noticing. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he felt cold eyes following him across the room, and halted to look at his visitor, blinking in minor confusion.

"Gaara…uhm…hello." His voice held a note of uncertainty, a puzzled look on his face, "you're in my house."

Gaara merely gave him a look, his expression unchanging. Lee still stood where he had stopped, unsure of what to do, unsure of how to treat this uninvited guest.

"You didn't ask to come in." His voice has changed to carry the barest hint of annoyance; he sets down the water bottle that he had carried with him on his jog, turning to fully face the sand-nin.

"you've got a talent for stating the obvious." Gaara replied, moving to stand. He had taken his gourd off; it was leaning against the wall, just inside the door. Lee wondered how he had managed to miss it. "I realize that I'm in your home."

"uhm…yeah. Why exactly…?" Lee let the question trail off to hang in the uneasy silence that seemed to fill the air between them.

He was rewarded with a shrug, "You've been on my mind. Tell me why."

Lee was more than slightly taken back by this question, unsure of how to answer; he shifted slightly- Gaara's eyes followed his every movement. It was unnerving to Lee how the pale jade orbs seemed to trail him, reminiscent of a hunter watching his prey.

"I…don't know." Lee paused before finishing the sentence. _I've been on his mind…? But I've thought of him as well._

"What is it?" Gaara's question was sudden, something flashing through his eyes at the expression Lee's face. Concern? Animosity? Condescension?

_It would be a lie if I told him 'nothing.'_ Lee found himself thinking; but why the sudden urge to tell him the full truth? Lee answered before he could fully think this new dilemma through to its full extent.

"You've been on my mind as well, Gaara-sama." Lee answered, deferring to the young man with a title of respect; it had become known in Konoha that he was to be the next Kazekage. Although why now Lee felt the need to honor him with such a title…he couldn't tell.

Gaara shook his head, "Gaara. You…are above calling me 'lord'."

Lee gave him a curious look, asking why without words. Gaara gave him a curt smile before replying, lifting his fingertip to his cheek as he spoke, fingers running over the pale skin.

"you are the only one to hurt me; to make me bleed…" Gaara's lips curved further into the smile, and he let his eyes slip closed for a moment.

"I'm sorry."

Gaara's eyes shot open, "You shouldn't be."

"oh." Lee couldn't think of what else to say, the single-syllable slipping past his lips in a rush of breath. Gaara tore his gaze away from Lee's face, glancing somewhere to the left of his choppy, black hair, eyes vacant.

"I'm going to leave." Gaara said, no warning preceding his words; Lee's eyes only caught the swirl of the younger man's sash as the turned to leave.

"Gaara!" The leaf-nin's voice cut across his living room, a curiously breathless quality about it.

"What?" Gaara looked over his shoulder; Lee found himself staring at the green eyes that seemed to see past his face, and into the core of his being. It was a strange feeling, as if Gaara had invaded something personal, had made an intimate connection with him. And Lee couldn't say that he minded.

"N-nothing Gaara." Lee averted his eyes, feeling his heart skip a beat.

With that, the future Kazekage and shinobi of the sand was gone.


	4. Notice Me

Gaara stood, quietly observing the sleeping shinobi's house. His eyes wandered over the stone of the wall that he knew hid Lee's slumbering form. It had been three days since his intrusion into the young man's home.

He took it as a good sign that he hadn't been kicked out.

He also took it as a good sign that Lee had paused to say hello to him while on the street the previous day. Gaara still didn't quite comprehend _why_ this was such a comfort to him, and furthermore he didn't care to explore the idea.

He also didn't care to explore the concept behind why he found himself moving across the street to Lee's house, past the unguarded door and into the bedroom. He had thoroughly explored the house in the hour or so before the youth had returned home that day he had broken in.

It had been easy to memorize where the rooms were in such a small house. It was mere moments before the floor under his sandal-clad feet changed to the woven mats the covered the floor in Lee's room. The sparse decorations amused him; he rewarded the quiet room with a small smile, moving to stand over the sleeping boy.

Lee was a rough sleeper. He had tossed and turned in his sleep, covers thrown off to reveal a bare torso, muscles defined in the shadow made by moonlight, filtering in from a high-set window. Boxers were low on his hips, showing the hard lines of his abdomen, trailing down into a slim waist, and muscles that disappeared past the dark green waistband.

Gaara reached out to touch him.

It was strange; the sand-nin looked at his hand as if it were a foreign thing that moved of its own free will, a look of almost-shock clouding his expression when he trailed his fingertip over Lee's hip, to the band of his boxers.

Lee mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and shifted, tossing his head to his shoulder, baring a pale throat. This caught Gaara's attention immediately, and he moved his hand to linger above the young man's exposed throat, fingertips lightly feeling his pulse, strong and vital.

It woke Lee when Gaara shifted his weight to kneel on the bed, half over the shinobi. When Lee's eyes fluttered open, Gaara's clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Don't make a sound." His voice held something in it, something that hid behind the dangerous monotone that he spoke in. Lee nodded.

He was terrified and filled with curiosity all in the same moment.

This was not something that Gaara chose to miss. His free hand found its way onto Lee's chest, pressed over where his heartbeat was the strongest and then wandering down, over firm muscle. Lee squirmed away from his touch, and then in a flash of insight that Gaara could, and would, kill him, held still.

Or tried to.

"You'll be silent." Was the only warning that Gaara offered when he slowly took his hand from Lee's mouth.

Lee ignored him, "What are you doing?"

Gaara gave him a contemplative look, before shifting to sit with one knee on either side of Lee, his knees pinning the other's arms down, seated on his lower stomach. Lee frowned at him.

"This isn't something that my sensei would condone."

"your sensei is a busybody." Gaara said absently. He felt Lee's muscles flex underneath him before the older man hissed out a reply from between gritted teeth.

"don't you call him that." He was glaring at Gaara now, but didn't make a move to free himself.

"I don't think you're in any position to be making those faces at me." Gaara frowned, folding his arms onto Lee's chest, leaning forward to wind up nose to nose with his captive.

"Get off." Lee's tone was strained; it was obvious that he was still trying to be polite. Gaara smirked.

"If you wanted me off, you'd have done something already. I'm not exactly heavy."

Silence greeted him.

"that's what I thought." A small smile tugged at the corners of Gaara's mouth, almost visible.

"Why are you here, Gaara?" Lee couldn't seem to ask anything else. Underneath him, Gaara could feel Lee's chest rising and falling, his strong steady heartbeat keeping a rhythm.

The sand-nin paused before his answer, long enough to make Lee open his mouth to begin to ask again, before answering.

"I don't know." He sat upright, palms flat against Lee's chest; he had stopped wondering if the shinobi was going to struggle many minutes ago. His eyes shifted away from Lee's, settling on his own hands.

"I had hoped that I would be wanted here." His voice was soft, his shoulders slumped slightly. Lee frowned, looking at Gaara—he reminded the older man of a small child. Vulnerable.

"Gaara…this isn't the way for you to get a person's attention." Lee murmured, managing to slip an arm free while Gaara's eyes were averted, "Breaking and entering and…this. It's not right."

"It's the only way to get someone to notice." He dug his fingertips into Lee's chest, a motion that showed the pain behind his words. A heartbeat later, a tear splashed down onto Lee's bare skin, followed by several more. Lee lifted a hand to Gaara's cheek, and wiped away a tear.

"I noticed you without this." He smiled, gently touching Gaara's cheek with calloused fingertips.

Within moments, Gaara's shoulders were shaking, years of repressed sadness spilling out, he leaned forward on Lee's chest, arms flung around the black-haired man's shoulders. Lee gently hugged him, smoothing a hand over his hair, soothingly.

After all, someone who never had a chance at childhood was forever to be a child, until shown love.

And that was something that Lee was more than willing to give.


	5. Confession

It was dawn when Lee woke, sleepily blinking awake. It took him a moment to register why there was another person beside him, the smaller form curled against him, seemingly drawn towards any warmth. The previous night came back to Lee in a flash. Gaara sobbing brokenly, his face buried in Lee's neck, his history pouring out between bursts of crying. The young man eventually fading into something like sleep- Lee assumed that it was a form of meditation, designed to rest the mind, but not render one into the defenselessness of slumber. Lee had stroked the younger man's hair until he had calmed and fallen into this state, whispering calming words to him.

Gaara had held onto him throughout the night, for many hours before Lee had managed to get to sleep, which in its own sense, was restless. He had woken again after a short period of rest to Gaara crying once more, this time his face buried in the pillow, trying to muffle his sobs. Lee had gently gathered him into his arms, holding him close, as his own sensei did when he was overcome with disappointment, or sorrow or hurt. But this was different.

Even Lee could feel that this was different. It hurt him, even bringing tears to his own eyes when he saw Gaara cry. Perhaps it was because he was so used to seeing stoic strength in the youth. He managed to come to the decision that he cared for Gaara, in the sense that one teammate cares for another.

That decision was proved to be futile when he woke in the morning. The light of dawn filtering in through the curtains of his room, playing across Gaara's pale skin; he had lost his shirt sometime in the night- Lee vaguely recalled the sand shinobi taking it off just before falling into his uneasy state of rest. Lee couldn't help but let his eyes wander over the smooth skin, eyes tracing the slim and linear muscles of his arms, the way that Gaara's chest rose and fell with each breath. The younger man shifted slightly under Lee's gaze, his breathing changing from slow, restful breaths to a steady tempo of wakefulness, his jade eyes opening with startling clarity.

"Hey…" Lee's voice was careful, the tone rising and falling over the momentary waves of silence, "are you…."

"alright?" Gaara interrupted him, his voice softer than normal, edges of the word seeming to blend into the space between them, an attempt at being gentle, "Yeah….I'm okay."

Lee smiled, "I'm glad….but Gaara, we need-

"to talk." Gaara cut him off once more, "I know."

Lee started slightly when Gaara tipped his head forward, resting his forehead against his chest, auburn hair in contrast to his somewhat-pale skin. Lee found that his hand wandered to Gaara's hair, discovering the texture to be silken against his fingertips. Gaara sighed, his breath hot, warming Lee's collarbone and sending a slight shiver down his spine.

"I feel attracted to you." Gaara's voice was barely above a whisper, almost lost against Lee's chest. "I can't say why it is—mother told me that it was right. Everything says that it's alright."

Lee's breath caught in his throat, and the hand that was in Gaara's hair tightened slightly, "Gaara, I…I don't know what to-

"you make my heart ache." Gaara's voice held a sob, "I don't feel anything, except around you. You make everything hurt and heal at the same time."

Gaara slipped his hand between the two of them, his palm against his chest, over his heart. Lee felt the younger man's shoulder's twitch- and tears dampen his skin.

Gaara was crying.

In an instant, Lee had wrapped his arms around Gaara's slim form, and pulled him even closer, burying his face in tousled red hair.

"Don't cry, Gaara. Please, don't cry." Lee whispered, "please, don't hurt like this."

Gaara choked back a sob, muffled by the curve of Lee's neck, which he had turned his face into.

"Gaara, I love you. Don't cry." Lee's statement surprised even him, not expecting the words to slip past his lips like that, so soon. And so honest. It seemed that desperation way to such truth.

It was a silence that followed Lee's words, one that was broken by the subject of his affection. Gaara slowly turned his head from Lee's shoulder, moving just enough to look Lee in the eye.

Lee could all but see the spark of hope that had blazed in Gaara's eyes.

"Is that….true?" Gaara asked; he said it with a shaking voice, wanting so badly to believe the older man, but…having been betrayed in love before.

"yes." Lee whispered, "I have no reason to withhold the truth from you."

"you love me…" Gaara murmured, a breathless statement of awe rather than a question. For the first time since his childhood, Gaara smiled, an expression of blissful, peaceful happiness rather than what had inspired previous happiness.

Lee didn't reply to this, not with words. He replied with a gentle kiss, an action that startled the future Kazekage; Lee felt his muscles tense for a moment before the young man relaxed. With a gentle look, the leaf-nin smoothed his hand over Gaara's cheek, a soft touch that the younger man would learn to love, learn to get used to after a lifetime of its absence.

"Yes. I love you."


	6. A short conversation

Midmorning found Lee standing at the refrigerator in his kitchen, staring pensively into the chilled interior. Sports drinks, health drinks, water bottles and health food lined the shelves. After a moment passed, he closed a hand around one of the eggs that he kept in the built-in holder in the door. In his other hand, he grabbed two bottles of water and turned, aiming to step to the counter. He made a move to close the fridge door with his foot; he slipped in the process of doing this. He would've caught himself, had sand not stopped his rapid descent to the floor. He found himself set gently back on his feet, the sand disappearing to the doorway of the kitchen.

"Gaara." Lee smiled, walking the remaining foot to the counter. He didn't look at the sand-nin as he reached up for the bowls, but a smile played over his lips.

He jumped with a hand found his still-bare side; the shinobi looked down at Gaara, the younger man not only slimmer but shorter as well. A question danced across his features, his brows furrowing.

"I just…" Gaara started, his voice soft and halted, "I wanted to make sure that you were real."

With a smile, Lee closed his hand around Gaara's, still on his side.

"I'm real enough." He chuckled, leaning forward to kiss the redhead's forehead. The younger man cringed, leaning away a instant, and then responding to Lee with a weak smile. Lee shook his head slightly.

"Gaara…I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know…" Jade eyes glanced away, and then slowly returned to Lee's face, "I'm just not used to anyone touching me."

"Ah, well…" strong arms snaked around Gaara's waist, the bowl that Lee had been holding forgotten on the counter, "It's not all that bad. Physical contact."

Gaara went rigid, before relaxing against Lee, his motions still tentative, "I'm just…"

Lee moved to put a finger to Gaara's lips, "shh. I know you've wondered what it feels like. The warmth of someone else's skin, someone's embrace." Lee laughed, "just enjoy this, I won't let anything happen to you."

With a slight grumble, Gaara let his head rest against Lee's shoulder, uncertain. It was a moment before he broke the silence.

"Someone told me they loved me a long time ago. But I think that even they were afraid to touch me." The sand-nin's voice was soft, his breath warm against Lee's skin when he spoke, "I can't understand why you don't fear me. Why you haven't realized what a disgusting monster I am and pushed me away."

Lee tightened am arm around Gaara's waist, shifting to twine his fingers in soft red hair, "It's because…I don't know either. You don't frighten me. At one point in time, I would have said that you scared me, perhaps. But you seem too…simply too beautiful. I believe that had you been treated differently when you were younger, you never would've formed such a wall around yourself. A chrysalis of sorts, one that you've never come out of."

Lee paused to sigh into Gaara's dusky hair, breathing in the warm scent of the desert and exotic spices, "Maybe you'll let me help you. Let me help you break through and become the wonder that I know you are."

Gaara's hands tensed on Lee's back, "but…I'd still be myself. Hideous."

"A friend of mine once told me that caterpillars are always disgusting looking, but they always turn into beautiful butterflies." Lee chuckled, shifting away from Gaara, loosening his grip on the younger man. He turned back to the counter, pausing to tuck a thumb under Gaara's chin, smiling into his eyes.

Gaara returned the smile with his usual stony look, until Lee darted forward to catch his lips in a quick kiss.

And this time, he didn't flinch away.

**Authors Note: **I'd like to say thanks to everyone who's left reviews on this story. It's really, really encouraging to know that there's people out here who love my work—I love all of you. Ah, I'm also wondering if anyone wants to do fanart for this (since I'll be doing some pictures for it myself). I'd be overjoyed to see art of my story. Well, anyhow…I basically wanted to say how grateful I am for all of your support. I haven't gotten a single flame for this, something that I'm kinda surprised at! But…I'll continue to work hard and bring you more of this story. I know that this chapter didn't have much—it was basically for the purpose of Lee's speech about the whole butterfly thing. I do hope that you enjoy. Ah, and if you can tell what friend it is that told Lee about the bugs, you get an e-cookie. XD


	7. See me

Gaara sat on the couch in Lee's living room, watching the young man race back and forth across it, picking up various objects and hurrying them to their rightful place. The older man was a blur of green and orange to Gaara's eyes, having changed into his usual outfit an hour prior. Gaara's frown had deepened when he saw the youth walk out with it on, but now he found himself grateful for such an article of clothing. Bodysuits left nothing to the imagination, a 'flaw' which Gaara saw as more of a bonus. He jumped when a pillow suddenly came flying his way, quickly willing his sand into submission in order to catch it, the grainy particles that were hovering around him wanting to surge into catching the item.

"Put that on the couch for me, please!" Lee sent a smile Gaara's direction. Gaara would've arched an eyebrow, had he possessed any.

"You're running like there's a fire under your feet." Was the sand shinobi's calm observation. He put the pillow down, and folded his arms across his chest.

"Sensei will be here soon! He's supposed to return from his mission today and, and… I don't want to be in trouble for not having a tidy house." Lee shot Gaara a look of desperation, as he hastily tided a low table, sweeping fitness magazines into a neat stack.

Gaara's face paled a small fraction. He knew Lee's sensei- Maito Gai, and knew that the loud man would, indeed, have something to say about his presence.

"Should I…um….leave?"

Lee stopped, eyes widened in something akin to shock, and then furrowing in a small amount of worry, "Why? I don't want you to go…"

"I don't want to cause you trouble with your Sensei." Gaara chuckled humorlessly, rising from the couch.

"nuh-uh. Sit back down." Lee laughed, his eyes sparkling, "We'll have to tell Gai sometime…and with sensei, sooner is always better than later."

With a shrug, Gaara resumed his seat. As soon as he had leaned back into the softness of the couch, there was a loud knocking at the door.

"Lee! My favorite student! Your beloved teacher has returned from his mission!" the booming voice cut through the wood; Lee's face lit up. Gaara cringed.

"Coming sensei!" Lee shouted in the direction of the door, almost tripping over the rug in the entry hall in his haste to answer and let the man in.

The door opening and Gai bursting into Lee's house were almost simultaneous actions; the first thing that the jounin did was wrap his student in a hug that may have crushed a lesser individual. There was laughter from the entrance hall, and from his angle, Gaara was only able to see an occasional flash of green and orange, or perhaps red. After a few moments, when the happy laughter died down, Gaara heard his name.

He knew that Lee spoke it, recognizing the way that the two-syllables rolled off of his tongue with a graceful precision that he had never been graced to hear before.

There was the thump of feet for a moment, footsteps coming down the hall, before Gai and Lee entered the living room.

Gaara's first observation was that Lee looked happy. His second was that as fond as he was of Lee's outfit, there was simply too much green in the room.

"Ah, Gaara, I'm glad that my Lee had some company in my absence! Have you been training with him?" Gai's tone was polite, the volume of his voice still loud; Gaara decided that his voice was naturally booming.

Gaara didn't reply to the man. He watched Lee shift slightly, his weight going from one foot to the other, a subtle sign of nervousness.

"Yes sensei. Gaara has been here for a while, he's um…going to be sticking around for a very long time." Lee looked from his sandal-clad feet to his teacher, and then back to his feet again.

"you've made a friend!" Gai's face broke into a grin, "Ah, youth is nothing without friends!"

"sensei, that's not what I meant…" Lee mumbled, giving his sensei a sidelong glance, "I mean, um…I…um…I love Gaara."

"Love for your comrades is an important thing for a shinobi, Lee! I am proud of you that you are not afraid to speak of the depth of your friendship! I myself even have a brotherly love for my rival." Gai nodded, sure of his statement.

Gaara sighed, and rose to his feet, "I don't think you're understanding what Lee means."

"yes, you have forged a brotherly bond! A friendship between men, a-

Gaara brought Gai's sentence to an end in a few short steps across the living room to Lee. Without a change in his expression, he reached up, taking the young shinobi's face in his hands and, standing on tiptoe, pulled him down into a kiss.

Lee's face turned several shades of crimson, only returning to its natural shade in the long moment after Gaara let go.

"Sensei, I was trying to explain I—

"you don't have to explain, Lee." Gai's voice was strangely calm, a gently smile on his face, one that reminded both young men of the look a father would give his son, "I understand. I…"

"if you condemn him, I will kill you." Gaara's voice interrupted, still in the flat monotone.

"Gaara!"

"No, Lee. It's alright, he has every right to worry. However," Gai's smile broadened, "I'm proud of you for making this decision. It takes courage to do something like this, you know, and strength. Gaara, did I not tell you that my Lee was one strong kid?"

Gaara smiled briefly, "I recall that."

Gai cleared his throat, breaking from the serious moment, which for him seemed unnatural, "Lee, enamored as you are, we must train today. Gaara, you are welcome to come and watch."

"Alright." The sand shinobi nodded briefly, his arms folding across his chest. He jumped when Lee's hands found his waist.

"Sensei…you're sure you're okay with this?" the taller man pulled Gaara close; Gaara unfolded his arms, looping them around Lee's torso.

Gai grinned, "youth and love go together! There's no rule that says you have to be with…well. A girl. Now stop worrying Lee, it will distract you from your training!"

Lee laughed, "alright sensei! Lets go then."

Several hours later, Gaara sat, watching Lee and Gai train from the shade of a tree. His eyes followed Lee's movements, fluid and graceful, jade orbs dancing over how the leaf-nin's muscles moved in a ripple underneath the suit he wore. He loved watching how Lee moved while sparring with his sensei, ducking and swerving around various kicks and punches. Lee was only hit once, when he failed to notice Gai's hand knifing down into the small of his back. The younger of the fighting pair hit the ground with a thud; Gaara flinched- it was all he could do to stop himself from getting up and helping Lee to his feet, a strange urge to protect that, with time, would only grow stronger.

Lee was on his feet, to Gaara' relief, in an instant, whirling around in a blindingly fast counter, his foot narrowly missing Gai's side. The jounin ducked into the kick, the back of his hand coming up onto Lee's inner thigh, with the intent of throwing the boy off balance. Lee, however, dropped away from Gai's blow, landing on one spread hand for balance, and maneuvering himself around to kick his legs into Gai's. This move, expected and used so many times by the young shinobi was easily countered by his sensei, who merely jumped above it, flipping mid-air with a heel coming down towards Lee's head. Lee rolled to the side, diving into a somersault, coming out of it in a handspring, backwards with both feet landing squarely between Gai's shoulder blades. The older man, caught by somewhat of a surprise, flew forward, skidding to a stop in the dirt. Lee landed neatly, and assumed a victory pose, the happy expression that lit his features bringing a smile to Gaara's face.

Gai picked himself up, dusting dirt and grass from his clothing, a grin on his face.

"Ah, Lee, your young mind always finds ways to get past my defense!" he laughed, "maybe I'm getting too old to be doing this…"

"No sensei, you'll always be youthful!" Lee answered, a response to this statement that he'd made many a time before. Gaara shook his head from where he sat, before rising to his feet. He had been sitting there for the past three hours—it was well into the late afternoon.

Lee jumped when Gaara walked up behind him, a small hand turning him to face the redhead.

"We're going for dinner." Gaara said, not a question or an offer, but a statement. Lee blinked.

"but…I'm training."

"You're going to eat." Gaara moved his hand to lightly poke Lee's stomach, which growled in reply, "Even Gai will tell you that you need food for energy to train. So come on."

"Sensei…um…I need to go and eat…" Lee looked reluctantly at his mentor, an apologetic smile on his face.

Gai grinned, and pulled Lee into a hug sending him tripping to be crushed against a broad chest, "Ah, go savor your youthful days. Let this lotus of Konoha bloom into a lotus of love!"

Lee laughed and hugged the man back, "of course! We'll be back in about an hour, alright sensei?"

"yosh!" Gai let go of Lee and gave him a slight shove, "I expect you to be on time, understand?"

"Of course!" Lee replied enthusiastically, before grabbing Gaara's hand, and pulling the sand-shinobi a few, stumbling feet before the younger man broke into a run to keep up with him.

"I know just the place for dinner…" Lee smiled over his shoulder, not slowing his pace.

Gaara gave him a doubtful look, but followed willingly.

Where there is love, there are no questions.

**Authors Note**: The next chapter, you'll all see where they're going for dinner. Ah—Spork Ai, you were right. It was Shino that told Lee about the bugs, although I'm not so certain that I mentioned that in previous chapters. I hope that everyone is still enjoying this! Thank you so much for your sweet reviews and encouragement!


	8. Rhyme and Reason

Lee folded his hands, leaning forward to prop his chin up on them. Sitting across the table from him, examining a fork with an expression of boredom on his face was Gaara. Lee couldn't help but smile at the younger man, eyes tracing over him, gaze settling in the curve of the sand-shinobi's neck, rolling out along his shoulders, down his slim arms.

_He's so beautiful…_Lee thought to himself, a tug at his heart emphasizing the reflection.

"So, what can I get you boys?" Lee jumped, startled out of his contemplation by the waiter. He looked up at her, a woman in her later years.

"um…I'll take a salad and some fish, please." He asked for the food politely, with a smile on his face.

"okay, hun. And you?" She motioned to Gaara with the pen she carried, arching an eyebrow.

"I'll have steak." Gaara said, his answer to the woman curt.

"Okay, give it a few minutes and we'll have your food right out, Kazekage-sama." The smiled, and turned back for the kitchen.

Gaara frowned after the woman, line around his eyes creasing with annoyance.

"What's the matter?" Lee tilted his head to the side slightly, curious. He rested his chin on the back of his hands, fingers laced together.

"I wish people didn't know who I was." Gaara mumbled; he sighed, looking back to the table and then to Lee.

"I like knowing you." Lee smiled, winking. "if I didn't, things would surely be terrible."

Gaara smiled slightly, shaking his head, "you're strange."

"I know." Lee grinned, "But you don't mind.

Gaara rolled his eyes in answer; he hadn't felt so…free in a long time. There was something about Lee that made him want to just let it all go, to just let the moment take over, maybe smile. Lee's charisma, perhaps; it was something about the youth that drove Gaara to want to reach out and pull him close. Something wanted to make him defy himself and just let his heart rule over his head. The Kazekage sighed, allowing a smile to slip to his lips as he shook his head at the leaf-nin.

A few minutes of idle chatter later, which mostly came from Lee, the food arrived. Lee attacked his with a ferocity that set Gaara back a bit, his eyes widening. The salad disappeared in an instant, and the fish even faster. He had barely finished half his steak before Lee was licking sauce from his fingertips, and trying to scrub a spot off of his bandages with the napkin. The leaf-nin paused, looking up.

"Isn't the food here good?" Lee smiled, watching Gaara resume his consumption of the rest of the steak.

"mmhm." Gaara mumbled around a mouthful.

Lee leaned back in his chair, waving the waitress back over, "ma'am, ma'am?"

"Yeah, darlin'?" it was a different waitress this time, an old woman with a kind smile, "what can I do for ya'll?"

"can we have some ice cream?" He looked to Gaara, "you like ice cream, right?"

"I've never…" Gaara started.

"cool! We'll take two." Lee grinned up at the woman, "please."

"sure, just give me a minute." She hurried off towards the kitchen, disappearing behind a pair of swinging doors.

Gaara gave Lee a look from across the table, "Is it good?"

"hmm?"

"Ice cream… is it any good?" Gaara took another bite of his steak.

"You've never had it! I thought you were joking…well, if you like sweet things, then you'll like it." Lee beamed across the table, "I promise."

"Mmf." Gaara's noncommittal response was, once again, uttered around a mouthful of steak.

A few minutes later, the woman reappeared, doors swinging shut behind her, carrying two ice cream cones- vanilla. She handed one to an eager Lee, and the other to Gaara who gave both her and the ice cream a disdainful look. The sand-nin looked across the table at Lee, who had already started to devour the icy treat, licking his lips every few bites. With a shrug, Gaara took a taste.

When Lee looked at his companion a moment later, it send a shiver down his spine and a blush rushing to his cheeks. The way that Gaara's tongue flicked from between his lips, the smudge of ice cream near the corner of his mouth. How the treat melted over the edge of the cone, dripping onto his hands.

Suddenly, his beloved bodysuit was a little too revealing for his tastes.

Yet…he couldn't tear his eyes away from Gaara, watching the sand-nin put a delicate fingertip to his mouth, tongue swirling around it, licking it clean.

When Lee's head hit the wood in front of him, Gaara looked up. The green-clad youth had slumped forward onto the table, head hidden in folded arms, shoulders twitching.

"um….Lee?"

"Hnn…."

"…I'm not going to ask if you're alright." Gaara reached over and prodded Lee's cheek with a sticky fingertip.

"I'm fine. I promise. I swear." Lee mumbled from the tabletop; Gaara could see that his face was bright red.

"…Lee…"

"why'r you so cute?" Lee muttered, shifting to glance up at Gaara for a second, before hiding his face again.

"oh." Gaara frowned, a red tint creeping to his cheeks.

"Sensei will be mad if we get back late." Lee mumbled from his arms. Distracting himself with other thoughts was, hopefully, working.

"yeah. Lemme get the bill and we'll go."

"I'll pay half." Lee looked up, his cheeks still rosy. He reached into the pouch he wore and fished out a crumpled bill, putting it down on the table. Gaara sent his sand to get his money, letting coins and several bills flutter to the wood.

"I can't stop you." Gaara shrugged, before standing, "well, ready?"

"I'm always ready, Gaara!" Lee grinned, standing and sending a quick prayer to several different gods that his 'problem' had gone away. With a quick glance, he assured that it had.

They found themselves walking down the main street of Konoha a few minutes later, standing a slight distance apart, just enough to that there was space between their shoulders. There were giggles from around them, accompanied by the usual whispers of

"look at him…can't he learn to dress properly?" and "ugg…just…ugg. The bowl cut sucks."

Lee didn't really mind the jeering so much, in fact, the young nin was used to it. Gaara, however, had an increasingly sour look on his face.

"Lee. Do they always do this?"

"Do what?"

Gaara look up at him, a scowl on his face, "make fun of you."

"…..yes. But it's alright, I'm used to it, please don't be upset with them." Lee gave Gaara a pleading look.

"What's the Kazekage doing with a loser like him?" Someone passing by them mumbled, chuckling under their breath.

Before they knew it, this person had been swept off their feet, and was flat on their back looking up at a glowering sand-nin. Gaara let the sand pin the man down, spreading across his chest with enough pressure to hinder his breathing.

"care to question my motives again?" Gaara's voice was low, a growl tearing at the edges of his usual monotone.

"N-no Kazekage sir!" The man stammered, struggling to free himself of the sand.

"Lee is not a loser, or anything else that you wish to call him." Gaara's voice had dropped to a barely audible growl now, his fists starting to clench at his sides.

He jumped when he felt a bandaged hand on his elbow, "Gaara…it's alright. Please let him go…he didn't do any harm."

Gaara blinked, looking at the gentle expression on Lee's face, "you're too kind to people, Lee."

"I know." Lee sighed, tugging at Gaara's elbow again, "let him get up."

With a sigh and a scowl, Gaara released the man, who cowered for a moment before scrambling to his feet and running.

Gaara shook his head at the man, and turned, walking away. Lee trotted to keep up with him.

"We'll go train with sensei a little more, alright? Then we can go back to my place for dinner and, well, you need a place to stay for the night, don't you? Then we can-

"I don't like them making fun of you." Gaara interrupted Lee sharply, "there's nothing about you that's horrible like they say. You're…a perfect model of a person. Determined and brave, and relying on his own strength."

"Gaara, I…"

"you are."

Lee smiled, shaking his head slightly, before moving to run backwards in front of Gaara. He reached out, lightly brushing a thumb across the other man's cheek, and winked.

"you're beautiful."

"T-thank you." Gaara, for the first time that day, blushed deeply and looked away.

Love was a strange thing.

: ……………………………………………………… :

**Authors Note: ** Good lord…this took me longer than expected to get finished. Um…some parts of it are kinda sketchy, 'cause…I dunno. I've been really emotional lately, crying a lot and not being able to focus. There's one part in here where I tried to cheer myself up—I've always had a thing for boys and ice cream cones, I guess. Sorry that it ends so abruptly. Mood swings and bad night do that. I hope that someone other than myself enjoys this chapter. - sigh -


	9. Let me

Training lasted the rest of the day, Gaara sitting nearby, under the same tree from earlier, watching Lee practice. Dusk came and went, the training arena growing dark, stars beginning to dot the sky over Konoha. Gaara had let his mind slip into a meditative state, and thus was startled somewhat when Lee gently put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him out of it.

He had never been used to people touching him, much less the touch being one of kindness.

"Hey…did you fall asleep or something?" Lee smiled down at him, watching the sand-nin climb to his feet, readjusting the calabash on his back.

"no." He paused before continuing, "are you and your sensei finished training?"

"Mmhm. We ended a few minutes ago…he already left for home." Lee smiled as Gaara stepped forward to pull him into a hug. He looped his arms around the smaller man's waist, giving him a tight squeeze. "were you bored watching us?"

"No. You move gracefully." Gaara answered, "It was interesting…almost like you were dancing in the air."

"Thank you." A blush crept to Lee's cheeks; he glanced at the tree behind Gaara, embarrassed just enough that he couldn't look at the redhead.

The Konoha nin felt a thumb tuck under his chin and tip his face down, his eyes quickly settling on Gaara's pale orbs. The younger boy shifted in his arms, catching Lee's lips in a kiss. Lee was surprised, but quickly returned it; the green-clad shinobi was somewhat shocked at Gaara actions, so sudden they were. After a moment, Lee gently flicked his tongue against Gaara's lips, tracing the tip over their softness. The sand-nin jumped, shoulders first tensing and then relaxing as he let his lips part, granting consent to Lee's unasked request.

It send a shiver through Gaara, to allow himself to be this close to anyone. To Lee. He, however, needed the contact, needed the feel of someone stronger- if only physically. He craved the sense that someone loved him enough to keep from lashing out at him, to praise him instead of only allowing beratements to pass their lips.

He wanted this.

The leaf-nin felt something flutter in his stomach, blossoming into a heat that spread to his fingertips, his cheeks and elsewhere. It wasn't new for the young man; he'd experienced this state of arousal before, simply…never outside of unrealistic fantasies. This was beyond that…perfection, to say the very least.

Gaara's face took on a faint rosy hue when he pulled Lee closer against him, and noticed the reason for the blush in the older man's face. The color in his cheeks deepened when he felt his body react in an identical manner. He looped his arms around Lee's neck in an effort to pull him closer, an act of wanting to simply have further contact with the boy. Lee took a step forward, followed by another, forcing the younger man backwards, his shoulders soon meeting the very tree that he had sat underneath for the day. Rough bark was easily felt through the shirt he wore, the texture of it contrasting with the mesh beneath his clothing. The sand-nin jumped with deft, skilled fingers untucked the bottom hem of his shirt, pushing the soft fabric over a smooth stomach. He found himself grateful that he had left his sash and gourd resting beside the tree.

"Gaara…is this alright?" The hand on his stomach paused, Lee's soft question, suddenly tentative, was a warm breath against his lips. It occurred to him at once that Lee was nothing but polite, in any situation.

"What I want…what's alright. It's the same thing. You're what I want." Gaara's voice came in a growled murmur, "Let me have this."

Lee smiled and nodded before eliminating the hairs breadth between then with another kiss. Gaara smiled into it when he felt a calloused hand slip further under his shirt, cool against warm skin. There was a brief pause- and a chuckle from Lee- as the older man tugged free Gaara's fishnet, slipping his hand underneath that as well. Lee's fingers were rough, the bandages that covered them seeming softer than the skin of his hands.

Gaara found this quite the stimulant; the feel, the touch. The sensation of roughness against smooth flesh. The sense of trusting someone enough to touch him in this intimate manner…

He felt no regret in trusting Lee.

No shame and no harm in wanting to love him.

XXXXXXXXXX -----------------------------------------XXXXXXXXXXX

Authors Note: Ah…there is a part in this that is smutty. I'll be posting a link to it on my bio soon, seeing as I don't want to violate any rules here…; If you'd like to know the link, please ask me in a review or whatnot. Sorry this took so long to post, by the way. There's been quite a bit going on, my friends and readers. Thanks for being so patient!


	10. I think you are

They walked as they had earlier, shoulder to shoulder. Sweat still glistened on their skin, shimmering faintly under the moonlight. There was no one to mock them on the street, no one to protest when Lee slipped an arm around Gaara's waist.

If there had been someone, they would have noticed several key things.

First and foremost, Gaara was carrying his gourd, the sash that usually held it in place long forgotten at the training grounds. Had someone been on the street, they would have found it quite amusing sight to see the small, seemingly frail young man carrying a stone gourd, almost half his size.

Secondly, they would have noticed the Lee had his jumpsuit rolled down to his waist, and the abrasions covered part of his right shoulder blade, evidence of a scuffle- perhaps with sand. If they were to look closer, they would notice that the bandages that usually covered Lee's left are were gone, lost to the same place in the training field as Gaara's sash.

Lastly…and only if they looked closely, drew themselves close enough to risk the sand-nin's fury, and an instant funeral-by-sand, they would notice that Sabaku no Gaara seemed to be tired.

A rare sight indeed.

It was twenty minutes after their walk down the streets of Konoha that Lee fumbled with the key to his house, stuffing it half-heartedly into the keyhole, unlocking it with a click. There was a small noise from behind him as Gaara shifted the weight of the gourd in his arms. Lee turned the handle and pushed, the door opening to a dark house; he fumbled for a moment, turning the light on and stepping out of the doorway. Gaara followed him in, pausing for a moment to set his gourd by the door, leaning it against the wall, shutting the door after himself. When he straightened up, it was to see Lee twisting to look at his shoulder in a mirror that hung above the table in the entry hall.

"This…it kinda hurts." The leaf-nin winced, reaching to prod lightly at the injured area with a fingertip.

"Sorry." Gaara made his way over to where Lee stood, glancing around him into the mirror, a look of half-amused regret on his face. "The sand…"

"I know." Lee smiled, relaxing back into a normal posture, and reaching to ruffle Gaara's sweat-soaked hair. He grimaced, and then ran his hand through his own hair, "disgusting…we're drenched in perspiration."

Gaara reached up to wipe sweat from his forehead, "yes…"

"Maybe we should shower?" Lee suggested. He reached out, and gave Gaara a slight tug. The younger man stepped willingly forward to lean against Lee's broad chest. "you up for it?"

"I'm not fond of water." Gaara frowned, and then wrinkled his nose, "but I supposed that we could. It's better to get wet than to stand around and stink."

Lee laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest, and drawing a small smile from Gaara.

"well…then lets get going before you change your mind." Lee ran a hand though Gaara's hair, trailing his fingers through the sweat-soaked locks. "Because I do agree with you."

Five minutes later found them in the bathroom, Lee tearing through the cabinets for a spare towel for Gaara to use. The sand-nin merely relaxed, leaning against the sink, and unbuttoning his shirt with a drawn-out laziness. He felt fatigued, a state further than his usual amount of unrest. Yet…he felt content and relaxed in the same moment. It was a strange sensation; like floating, one might be tempted to say.

Gaara was roused from his thoughts by the towel that Lee half-threw half-handed to him. He blinked once, looking down at it. The material was soft, something that under a different condition, he might have overlooked.

Also, in a different situation, he may have overlooked the deep scrape that spread across Lee's shoulder blades.

But…this instance, this time- it was now. And so Gaara set the towel carefully on the counter, beside the shirt that he had shrugged off a few minutes prior.

"Lee…" He started, moving forward a few steps, to delicately put a hand on the older man's shoulder. Lee smiled, tilting his head to the side, a silent gesture of 'yes? Continue, please.'

"I'm…um…sorry about that." Gaara mumbled, "I never meant to lose control of my sand."

Lee laughed, slipping his hands to rest on Gaara's waist, his skin somewhat cooler than that of the sand-nin.

"Please don't worry about it, Gaara-kun. Things were rather…heated. I doubt that if I were in your place, that I could have controlled it either." Lee gave the redhead a reassuring smile, and leaned to lightly kiss his forehead. When he straightened up, it was with a wrinkled nose, "Bleh…but we are still sweaty. Standing around like this won't make us clean."

"yes…" Gaara murmured, momentarily consoled by Lee's statement. He slipped out of his arms to finish undressing, watching out of the corner of his eye as Lee peeled off the rest of his bodysuit, leaving it to lay on the floor.

"Hnn…the water's cold…" Lee muttered, flinching under the spray of icy water. Gaara leaned against the wall of the large shower, arms crossed over his chest, amusement sparkling in his eyes. Lee gave him a momentarily dark look, before simply reaching out and dragging him into the spray, earning a loud protest, and a few threats until the water warmed.

"That was cruel." Gaara growled; He wasn't really driven to protest though. There was something that quelled all arguments, and kept him there in the circle of Lee's arms. After a moment he gave up all thoughts of moving away from the older man, and with a content sigh, slipped his arms around his torso, hands splayed across Lee's upper back.

Lee flinched as Gaara's fingertips came in contact first with bruises, and then the deep abrasion that spread across his shoulders. He hoped that Gaara hadn't noticed the reaction that he had to the sudden, somewhat-painful contact. A quick glance down at the green-eyed boy contradicted any hopes that he had about his not noticing. Gaara's expression had turned from one of calm bliss to one of concern.

"You really do hurt…" Gaara frowned. He tipped his head against Lee's chest with a sigh, silent for a moment to listen to the heartbeat that thudded resoundingly in his ear. "In the least, let me clean it for you…"

Another glance told Lee not to argue.

"Ow! Gaara-kun…" Lee whimpered a few minutes later, whipping his head around to glance sharply over his shoulder. Tears welled in his eyes, mingling with the water from the shower as they spilled down his cheeks.

"I'm trying to be gentle. Just stop moving, it'll be easier." Gaara grumbled tersely, running a soap-covered washcloth across Lee's back again.

Lee flinched as Gaara paused to scrub at an edge of the abrasion, applying quite a bit of force.

"OW!"

"there was sand in it." With a growl, Gaara flung down the washcloth. "I think it's cleaned out pretty well now…in the least, it won't get infected."

Lee opened his mouth to protest, but was cut short by Gaara's arms around his shoulders. The younger man leaned his forehead against the base of Lee's neck, sighing in a warm burst of air against the skin there.

"I remember once…" Gaara started, and then paused to turn his face, resting his cheek against Lee's cool skin. "I remember I was bathing with my brother one. We were in a public bath…I'd always watched him, with the paint he wore."

Gaara chuckled, a smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

"It was strange to see him take it off. Like he was removing part of himself, taking off some mask. Kankurou was always a different person at home…different than when he was out around people, that is. He looked different, acted different…he even spoke differently."

"I feel like he did at home, when I'm around you. I can take off my mask, and show you how I feel. No one's listened to me about anything like that before."

Lee smiled softly, reaching up to tousle Gaara's hair, "please…be however you want to around me. I have never been one to judge."

"no…I don't think you ever will be." Gaara moved to nuzzle his face against Lee's neck. When he spoke, Lee could feel the sand-nin's lips moving softly against his skin. "I think that you…"

Lee shifted as the youth paused, enough to draw Gaara into a soft hug, a gentle movement of comfort.

"That I'm…?" Lee's voice rumbled through his chest, resonating in Gaara's ears, like a subtle kind of thunder. He remained silent long enough to listen to Lee's heartbeat once more, before continuing.

"That you're my reason to exist."

: ------------------------------ :

Author's Note: Oh, my beautiful, wonderful fans. I love you all so, so much for following this story. Thank you for the encouragement- everyone who faithfully made comments on it, who followed the storyline and inspired me to make it go further.

It makes me both happy and sad to announce that this is the last chapter.

I hope that I was able to live up to everyone's expectations, and that I was able to make you all proud of me, to bring a smile to your faces…and to overload you with cute luvvy fluff.

Sorry of this chapter kind of fell apart at the end…I think that the style towards the very last of it reflects the way that Gaara's starting to just let his defenses fall apart for Lee.

Please, enjoy this chapter.

And thank you again. I'm grateful to you all.


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